Different people will know Alesha Dixon for different things. If you're under the age of 15, you probably know her as a children's writer, or one of the judges on Britain's Got Talent, a job she's been excelling at for eight years now. if you're a bit older, you might remember her from her time judging on Strictly, after winning the show, or her solo pop career. (The Boy Does Nothing, what a bop.) But most of us loved Alesha as a part of garage girl group Mis-Teeq.
'I think the younger generation probably don't know Mis-Teeq or they might not know my solo material,' Alesha tells us over the phone. 'But that's okay.' She pauses: 'They'll know next year because I'm releasing some new music.'
Alesha hasn't released an album since 2015's Do It For Love - and the singer tells us she was working on new material just before coronavirus happened.
'Once that lockdown eased up, I picked up where I left off,' she says. 'I've been writing as I always do, from the heart about things that I care about, on my terms, and on my own timeline. And I think that I'll be ready to release something early 2021 but I'm really excited. It always feels like a return back to myself. It's my foundation. And so I never quite feel like I'm entirely being my authentic self unless I'm doing it. '
And thankfully, this time round, Alesha tells us that the music industry is slightly less male dominated than it was when she started out in 1999. 'I feel like back in the day, a lot of a lot of the execs were male,' she says matter-of-factly. 'And so therefore, there were a lot of positions of power that weren't taken up by females. But I am slowly seeing that change.' Alesha adds, 'I think it's just changing the mindset of people that women can steer the ship and can be the boss, be the CEOs and run corporations and do it brilliantly.'
With over 20 years in the industry, the musician is also more confident than ever. 'Being 41 years old now, having been in the industry for so many years, I feel like I've got all the wisdom and experience to take forward with me now into this next chapter of my life,' she adds.
Aside from working on new music, Alesha is currently back on Britain's Got Talent, something she says she's been waiting for since the series had to prematurely come to a halt in March before the live shows. 'I've been saying for five months I cannot wait to go to work for a day off because at home [I'm] looking after a baby, a six year old, a house, running a kitchen, trying to work from home, as most people in the country and in the world are doing at the moment,' she tells us.
The judge continues: 'It has been quite challenging and a lot of people might think "Oh everybody's taken some time out" but we don't feel like we've rested like we haven't stopped - so going to work has been such a dream and being reunited with everyone and being back on, in my opinion, the best show on TV felt so good.'
With lockdown getting more people into gaming, Alesha is also working with Candy Crush - with celebrities like Mark Wright and Laura Whitmore - as they launch a massive tournament to find the UK's top Candy Crush player. 'I think since having my daughter, she's got me more into games,' the mum-of-two says. 'It blows my mind how clever she is and she always wants me to play with her. So she kind of like sparks that side of me again, you know, that silly side, where you just you don't take things or yourself too seriously.'
The Candy Crush Saga All Stars Tournament starts today [September 17] and the hunt is on to find the nation’s top crusher. To get involved download the app here****.
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